Troubleshooters (Book 18)
Navy SEAL Ian Dunn went rogue in a big way when he turned his talents to a lawless life of jewel heists and con jobs. Or so the world has been led to believe. In reality, the former Special Ops warrior is still fighting for good, leading a small band of freelance covert operatives who take care of high-stakes business in highly unofficial ways. That makes Ian the hands-down choice when the U.S. government must breach a heavily guarded embassy and rescue a pair of children kidnapped by their own father, a sinister foreign national willing to turn his kids into casualties. Shockingly, Ian passes on the mission for reasons he will not -- or cannot -- reveal.
But saying no is not an option. Especially not for Phoebe Kruger, Ian's beautiful and unexpectedly brash new attorney. Determined to see the abducted children set free, Phoebe not only gets Ian on board but insists on riding shotgun on his Mission: Impossible-style operation, whether he likes it or not.
Though Phoebe has a valuable knack for getting out of tight spots, there's no denying the intensely intimate feelings growing between Ian and Phoebe as the team gears up for combat. But these are feelings they both must fight to control as they face an array of cold-blooded adversaries, including a vindictive mob boss who's got Ian at the top of his hit list and a wealthy psychopath who loves murder as much as he loves money. As they dodge death squads and play lethal games of deception, Ian and Phoebe will do whatever it takes to save the innocent and vanquish the guilty -- or die trying.
It's been a long time since I read a Brockmann book, but I quickly remembered why I like them so much. This book has lots of action, a little bit of romance, and a wide variety of secondary characters.
The story opens with a flashback to one of Ian's operations that very nearly goes wrong, but his quick thinking saves the day. Included are brief introductions to his team - the same people we see again later. It then jumps several years into the future. Ian is serving a prison sentence for getting drunk, busting up a bar, and crashing into a bunch of cars. He is visited by two lawyers, one a federal attorney and one from the law firm that represents him. The federal attorney, Martell, offers Ian a get out of jail free card in exchange for his help rescuing two kidnapped children, while Phoebe, his supposed attorney, encourages him to agree. Both are shocked when Ian turns them down flat. Martell doesn't accept the answer and pulls strings to get Ian released, while Phoebe has the unwelcome job convincing Ian to cooperate.
The action starts immediately, as Ian takes control of Phoebe's car in an attempt to head off the disaster looming because of his release. It seems that Ian cut a deal with a mob boss who has it in for Ian and his brother, Aaron, and Aaron's family. By taking the fall for someone else, Ian's family is safe. But that deal is null and void if the mob boss thinks Ian has double-crossed him. Meanwhile, Phoebe, a new hire to the law firm, suddenly feels in over her head.
The first half of the book covers Ian ensuring that his family is safe. A shoot out with the mob, rescue by the FBI, and secrets kept and revealed had me glued to the pages throughout this section. I liked getting to know Ian, who is much more than the jewel thief initially portrayed. He is smart, quick-thinking, and super-protective of those he cares for. The recipients don't always appreciate that protectiveness. He is also a natural leader and quickly takes command from the start. Several twists must be dealt with before anything can be done toward rescuing the children. As each of the secondary characters makes an appearance, relationships and secrets add complications to Ian's plans. I was most surprised by the link between Ian and the mob boss, but the rest made sense once I found out about it.
In the second half of the book, Ian and company move on to planning the children's rescue. They were kidnapped at the order of their father as a way of striking back at their mother. Ian has to move fast before the kids are spirited out of the country. The man holding the children is someone Ian knows well from previous encounters, and Ian knows what he is capable of. I loved the intricacy of the planning, from the high-tech equipment to the perfecting of the timeline. Of course, there's always the (likely) chance that something will go wrong. In this case, a hit team from the mob shows up at just the wrong time, and Phoebe comes to the rescue. Unfortunately, her involvement complicates matters even further, and she and Ian scramble to contain the problems. I was on the edge of my seat as the operation played out, with Phoebe held hostage and unknown players entering the game at the last minute. The final confrontation was intense, and I could feel Ian's fear for Phoebe and hers for him. I loved the ending.
I enjoyed seeing the relationship develop between Ian and Phoebe. To say there was a little antagonism at the beginning would be putting it mildly. Ian did not appreciate her messing up his prison gig. Phoebe started to grow on him a little when she didn't fall apart during the shoot-out at Aaron's house. She also didn't have any trouble standing up to him and held her own in their verbal battles. Phoebe was a bit naïve at the start when it came to what criminals were capable of doing, even to lawyers, but she learned quickly. Phoebe is also very observant, and it doesn't take her long to figure out that the jewel thief persona doesn't fit Ian very well.
About this time, sparks of attraction start popping between the two of them, and both fight hard against them. There are some funny parts where the sparks get the better of them before they retreat to their corners and come out swinging again. I loved watching them get to know each other in the downtime. Phoebe turns out to be a good listener, and Ian shares things with her he hasn't told anyone else. Neither one wants to admit the feelings that grow between them, though everyone around them is happy to point it out to them. I ached for Ian when a confrontation with Aaron points out Ian's tendency to think he knows best. It's a wake-up call for Ian, and he has a lot to think about, especially when he has to face Phoebe's unexpected involvement in the upcoming operation. I loved seeing him finally accept that he's allowed to be happy, too, and stop trying to push Phoebe away.
I also enjoyed the wide variety of secondary characters. The most important of those are Ian's brother, Aaron, and Aaron's husband, Sheldon. Their relationship is a central part of the story because of who Sheldon is. His father is the insane mobster who has the hit out on Aaron and Ian. Their history comes out in flashbacks scattered throughout the book, beginning in high school through the present day. There were times when their interactions were a little too sweet, but some serious problems had to be dealt with.
Another character was Sheldon's half-brother Berto, who was neck-deep in the family business. Sheldon's orientation caused a rift between them, as did Berto's subsequent actions, involving their adopted sister Francine. Berto did eventually redeem himself somewhat, but it was a slightly uneasy alliance. Francine was an interesting woman. Her history with Bento changed her life, and not necessarily for the better. I loved her relationships with Ian, Aaron, and Sheldon and how they all supported each other. She is an integral part of Ian's team and has earned the respect of those who work with her.
Martell is the federal lawyer who started the whole process with his need for Ian's help. Though he initially came across as ineffective, he also had unexpected depth. I appreciated that he was a good man, though he occasionally stuck his foot in his mouth. I'm not sure whether I'd like to see him end up with Francine or the female FBI agent, Deb. I loved Deb's versatility and take-charge attitude. There were some conflicts between her and Ian when it came to who was in charge, though Ian usually won out. The other agent, Yashi, was known best for being unflappable.
Navy SEAL Ian Dunn went rogue in a big way when he turned his talents to a lawless life of jewel heists and con jobs. Or so the world has been led to believe. In reality, the former Special Ops warrior is still fighting for good, leading a small band of freelance covert operatives who take care of high-stakes business in highly unofficial ways. That makes Ian the hands-down choice when the U.S. government must breach a heavily guarded embassy and rescue a pair of children kidnapped by their own father, a sinister foreign national willing to turn his kids into casualties. Shockingly, Ian passes on the mission for reasons he will not -- or cannot -- reveal.
But saying no is not an option. Especially not for Phoebe Kruger, Ian's beautiful and unexpectedly brash new attorney. Determined to see the abducted children set free, Phoebe not only gets Ian on board but insists on riding shotgun on his Mission: Impossible-style operation, whether he likes it or not.
Though Phoebe has a valuable knack for getting out of tight spots, there's no denying the intensely intimate feelings growing between Ian and Phoebe as the team gears up for combat. But these are feelings they both must fight to control as they face an array of cold-blooded adversaries, including a vindictive mob boss who's got Ian at the top of his hit list and a wealthy psychopath who loves murder as much as he loves money. As they dodge death squads and play lethal games of deception, Ian and Phoebe will do whatever it takes to save the innocent and vanquish the guilty -- or die trying.
It's been a long time since I read a Brockmann book, but I quickly remembered why I like them so much. This book has lots of action, a little bit of romance, and a wide variety of secondary characters.
The story opens with a flashback to one of Ian's operations that very nearly goes wrong, but his quick thinking saves the day. Included are brief introductions to his team - the same people we see again later. It then jumps several years into the future. Ian is serving a prison sentence for getting drunk, busting up a bar, and crashing into a bunch of cars. He is visited by two lawyers, one a federal attorney and one from the law firm that represents him. The federal attorney, Martell, offers Ian a get out of jail free card in exchange for his help rescuing two kidnapped children, while Phoebe, his supposed attorney, encourages him to agree. Both are shocked when Ian turns them down flat. Martell doesn't accept the answer and pulls strings to get Ian released, while Phoebe has the unwelcome job convincing Ian to cooperate.
The action starts immediately, as Ian takes control of Phoebe's car in an attempt to head off the disaster looming because of his release. It seems that Ian cut a deal with a mob boss who has it in for Ian and his brother, Aaron, and Aaron's family. By taking the fall for someone else, Ian's family is safe. But that deal is null and void if the mob boss thinks Ian has double-crossed him. Meanwhile, Phoebe, a new hire to the law firm, suddenly feels in over her head.
The first half of the book covers Ian ensuring that his family is safe. A shoot out with the mob, rescue by the FBI, and secrets kept and revealed had me glued to the pages throughout this section. I liked getting to know Ian, who is much more than the jewel thief initially portrayed. He is smart, quick-thinking, and super-protective of those he cares for. The recipients don't always appreciate that protectiveness. He is also a natural leader and quickly takes command from the start. Several twists must be dealt with before anything can be done toward rescuing the children. As each of the secondary characters makes an appearance, relationships and secrets add complications to Ian's plans. I was most surprised by the link between Ian and the mob boss, but the rest made sense once I found out about it.
In the second half of the book, Ian and company move on to planning the children's rescue. They were kidnapped at the order of their father as a way of striking back at their mother. Ian has to move fast before the kids are spirited out of the country. The man holding the children is someone Ian knows well from previous encounters, and Ian knows what he is capable of. I loved the intricacy of the planning, from the high-tech equipment to the perfecting of the timeline. Of course, there's always the (likely) chance that something will go wrong. In this case, a hit team from the mob shows up at just the wrong time, and Phoebe comes to the rescue. Unfortunately, her involvement complicates matters even further, and she and Ian scramble to contain the problems. I was on the edge of my seat as the operation played out, with Phoebe held hostage and unknown players entering the game at the last minute. The final confrontation was intense, and I could feel Ian's fear for Phoebe and hers for him. I loved the ending.
I enjoyed seeing the relationship develop between Ian and Phoebe. To say there was a little antagonism at the beginning would be putting it mildly. Ian did not appreciate her messing up his prison gig. Phoebe started to grow on him a little when she didn't fall apart during the shoot-out at Aaron's house. She also didn't have any trouble standing up to him and held her own in their verbal battles. Phoebe was a bit naïve at the start when it came to what criminals were capable of doing, even to lawyers, but she learned quickly. Phoebe is also very observant, and it doesn't take her long to figure out that the jewel thief persona doesn't fit Ian very well.
About this time, sparks of attraction start popping between the two of them, and both fight hard against them. There are some funny parts where the sparks get the better of them before they retreat to their corners and come out swinging again. I loved watching them get to know each other in the downtime. Phoebe turns out to be a good listener, and Ian shares things with her he hasn't told anyone else. Neither one wants to admit the feelings that grow between them, though everyone around them is happy to point it out to them. I ached for Ian when a confrontation with Aaron points out Ian's tendency to think he knows best. It's a wake-up call for Ian, and he has a lot to think about, especially when he has to face Phoebe's unexpected involvement in the upcoming operation. I loved seeing him finally accept that he's allowed to be happy, too, and stop trying to push Phoebe away.
I also enjoyed the wide variety of secondary characters. The most important of those are Ian's brother, Aaron, and Aaron's husband, Sheldon. Their relationship is a central part of the story because of who Sheldon is. His father is the insane mobster who has the hit out on Aaron and Ian. Their history comes out in flashbacks scattered throughout the book, beginning in high school through the present day. There were times when their interactions were a little too sweet, but some serious problems had to be dealt with.
Another character was Sheldon's half-brother Berto, who was neck-deep in the family business. Sheldon's orientation caused a rift between them, as did Berto's subsequent actions, involving their adopted sister Francine. Berto did eventually redeem himself somewhat, but it was a slightly uneasy alliance. Francine was an interesting woman. Her history with Bento changed her life, and not necessarily for the better. I loved her relationships with Ian, Aaron, and Sheldon and how they all supported each other. She is an integral part of Ian's team and has earned the respect of those who work with her.
Martell is the federal lawyer who started the whole process with his need for Ian's help. Though he initially came across as ineffective, he also had unexpected depth. I appreciated that he was a good man, though he occasionally stuck his foot in his mouth. I'm not sure whether I'd like to see him end up with Francine or the female FBI agent, Deb. I loved Deb's versatility and take-charge attitude. There were some conflicts between her and Ian when it came to who was in charge, though Ian usually won out. The other agent, Yashi, was known best for being unflappable.
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